4 Instant Ways to Reduce Your Carbon Footprint
As the carbon footprint of individuals and industries increases, its effect on the environment does as well. Your carbon footprint corresponds with the overall amount of greenhouse gas emissions that you are responsible for. To put it simply, your carbon footprint relates to the climate change
associated with global warming. Taking steps to reduce your carbon footprint is a great way to take
ownership of your personal contribution to climate change. Below are four instant ways that you can reduce your carbon footprint.

Calculate your carbon footprint

Your carbon footprint is the amount of greenhouse gases that you produce as you live your life. This includes carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide, and fluorinated gases, just to name a few. According to The Deep Decarbonization Pathways Project, in order to hold the global temperature rise to 2˚C or less, everyone on Earth will need to average an annual carbon footprint of 1.87 tons by 2050. Currently, the average United States per capita carbon footprint is 18.3 tons.

In order to start reducing your carbon footprint to hit this goal, it’s important to first calculate your own carbon footprint to find out how you’re doing. This will give you an idea of how much carbon and money you will save by enacting some of the steps below and it will give you an idea of where to start along with which area(s) you should be making the most adjustments in.

Drive Less

 

Transportation accounts for 31% of the annual carbon dioxide emissions in the United States. With cars accounting for around 1,550,000 kilotons of carbon dioxide emissions every year. The type of car you drive and the condition your car is in can have a major impact on your carbon footprint. Every gallon of gas burned releases 24 pounds of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere. To put this into perspective, the average American releases 19 tons of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere every year. You can cut this number down by driving less and opting for more eco-friendly methods of transportation.

High energy-efficient scooters are a great option if you’re looking to reduce your carbon footprint as they are powered by a safe and eco-friendly rechargeable lithium iron phosphate battery. This means that the scooter will not emit air pollution or any greenhouse gases during operation. Doing so, you can feel good that you’re making a positive impact both on our environment and your health as you ride your scooter around town!

Choose used

When we think about factors that affect climate change we often think of energy, transport, and food. One of the most overlooked factors is clothing. Believe it or not, what you wear can have a major impact on the environment and your carbon footprint. From how they’re made to how they’re disposed of, it’s important to consider your clothing choices as you work to reduce your carbon footprint.

One of the easiest ways to reduce your carbon footprint is to shop vintage or used. Contrary to popular belief, you can actually find high-quality clothing from top brands by shopping secondhand. In fact, some consignment shops offer a used clothing selection online. With gently worn clothing from various brands, you’re able to fill your wardrobe with stylish pieces at a low price, while helping to protect our planet. If everyone bought one used item instead of new this year, we would save 5.7 billion pounds of carbon dioxide emissions, 25 billion gallons of water, and 449 million pounds of waste.

Eat low on the food chain

 

It may be hard to believe that what you eat can impact your carbon footprint, but meat and dairy are responsible for 14.5 percent of manmade global greenhouse gas emissions. This is mainly from feed production and processing. Every day that you ditch meat or dairy, you can reduce your carbon footprint by 8 pounds, which adds up to 2,920 pounds a year. This doesn’t mean that you have to cut meat or dairy out altogether or even all at once. Start small by participating in Meatless Mondays. If your favorite meals consist of meat or dairy products, try finding a dairy-free recipe or another substitute for meat. That way you can still enjoy the foods you love while reducing your carbon footprint.